Tours in Whittier Alaska
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Explore Group Travel →Cruising to Whittier Alaska
Whittier exists on Alaska's terms. Accessible for decades almost exclusively by rail, this compact port community of roughly 200 year-round residents sits at the edge of Prince William Sound, entirely encircled by the Chugach Mountains. The surrounding landscape is staggering in scale — hanging glaciers drape themselves over ridgelines, waterfalls thread down sheer granite faces, and the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Sound host an abundance of marine life that would make any naturalist's heart race. For cruise travelers, Whittier functions not merely as a port of call but as the front door to one of the most pristine marine wilderness regions on the planet.
The town itself is famously quirky — a place where most residents share a single residential high-rise, Begich Towers, a relic of its origins as a classified U.S. Army installation during World War II. That unusual history lends Whittier a kind of surreal charm: a harbor ringed by fishing boats and sea kayaks, a few waterfront cafes, and an almost meditative quietness broken only by the cry of bald eagles and the distant thunder of calving ice. The Alaska Railroad depot and the narrow Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — which pierces the Chugach Range for nearly 2.5 miles and doubles as the only road into town — add to the sense that arriving here is itself part of the adventure.
For visitors with six to ten hours ashore, Whittier rewards those who lean into the outdoors. Whether you board a high-speed catamaran bound for tidewater glaciers and sea-otter colonies in Blackstone Bay, rent a kayak to paddle the protected cove, charter a fishing boat, or simply walk the harbor trail with binoculars in hand, the Sound delivers. This is not a port for shopping or city sightseeing — it is a port for wilderness immersion, for mornings that smell of spruce and saltwater, and for coming face to face with a landscape that feels fundamentally untouched.
Top things to do in Whittier Alaska on a cruise stopover
Blackstone Bay Glacier Cruise: Ice, Wildlife, and Raw Wilderness
The signature experience of any Whittier port call is a boat excursion into Prince William Sound, and Blackstone Bay stands as the crown jewel. Accessible only by water, this dramatic fjord system shelters multiple active tidewater glaciers — Blackstone Glacier and Beloit Glacier among them — that calve directly into the sea with resonant cracks and cascading ice. High-speed catamarans cover the distance efficiently, but the journey itself is half the experience: sea otters float on their backs among kelp beds, Steller sea lions haul out on rocky outcroppings, Dall's porpoises surf the bow wake, and bald eagles patrol overhead. Harbor seals rest on ice floes calved from the glaciers. Humpback whales and orcas make occasional appearances in the outer sound. Naturalist guides aboard reputable operators provide geological and ecological context that transforms the scenery into a coherent story. Dress in warm, waterproof layers — even on a mild summer day, the air off the ice is sharp — and position yourself on an outer deck for the best wildlife sightings and photography.
Sea Kayaking Prince William Sound's Protected Waters
For travelers who want physical engagement with the landscape rather than observation from a deck, kayaking the protected waters immediately around Whittier's harbor offers something genuinely rare: glacier-fed sea water, mountain walls rising on all sides, and the possibility of paddling alongside sea otters and harbor porpoises at eye level. Outfitters based at the small-boat harbor offer everything from guided half-day paddles — ideal for those with little kayaking experience — to rentals for confident paddlers who want to chart their own course into the coves and kelp forests surrounding the harbor entrance. The scenery is immediate and enveloping in a way that no vessel with a motor can replicate. Look up and you will find waterfalls threading down cliffs that rise hundreds of feet directly from the waterline. Look down into the water and the clarity is startling. Morning departures, before afternoon winds pick up, offer the calmest conditions.
Fishing for Halibut and Salmon on Charter Boats
Prince William Sound is one of the most productive fisheries in the North Pacific, and Whittier's small-boat harbor is home to a fleet of experienced charter captains who run half-day and full-day fishing trips tailored to cruise ship schedules. Halibut is the main draw — these flatfish can exceed 100 pounds and inhabit the deep rocky bottom of the Sound in impressive numbers. Silver salmon (coho) run through August and into September, offering exciting sport-fishing on lighter tackle. Pink salmon arrive in even greater numbers in even-numbered years. Reputable charter operators handle licensing (Alaska fishing licenses must be purchased — day licenses are available and operators can facilitate this) and provide all necessary gear. Many will fillet and vacuum-seal your catch, and cruise lines typically have arrangements to store fish onboard for the remainder of the voyage.
Portage Glacier and the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center
A short drive through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — an engineering feat unto itself, shared with the Alaska Railroad and lit in an otherworldly blue as you pass beneath the Chugach Range — brings you to the Portage Valley and one of Alaska's most visited natural landmarks. Portage Glacier has retreated significantly over the past century, but a boat tour across Portage Lake still delivers visitors to the active glacial face where ice of extraordinary blue hues calves into the cold water. The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, operated by the U.S. Forest Service, provides excellent context on glacial dynamics, local ecology, and the history of Portage Valley, which was devastated by the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Short hiking trails around the valley floor offer accessible walks through spruce-cottonwood forest with views of hanging glaciers on the surrounding peaks. Factor in tunnel wait times — traffic alternates direction on a schedule — when planning this excursion.
The Whittier Harbor Walk and Wildlife Watching
Not every traveler needs a structured tour to find the heart of Whittier. The harbor area offers a deeply pleasant, unhurried morning for those content to walk, watch, and absorb a place that operates on its own quiet logic. The harbor boardwalk winds past fishing vessels, pleasure boats, and kayak outfitters, eventually opening to views across Passage Canal toward the Chugach peaks. Bald eagles are almost always present — perched on pilings, wheeling above the water, occasionally squabbling over scraps near the fish-cleaning stations. Black-legged kittiwakes nest on cliff faces visible from the harbor. Sea otters can be spotted floating in the cove with reliable frequency. The small harbormaster area, a modest cluster of local cafes, and a gift shop or two complete the picture. For photographers, the soft overcast light that characterizes Whittier's frequent cloudy days is actually ideal — no harsh shadows, saturated greens, and dramatic sky textures.
Begich Towers: Exploring Whittier's Singular Human Story
Few ports of call anywhere in the world have a backstory as eccentric as Whittier's, and Begich Towers — the 14-story concrete high-rise where the majority of the town's residents live, work, and shop — is its physical embodiment. Built by the U.S. Army in the 1950s as a strategic Cold War installation beneath the perpetual overcast that grounded enemy aircraft, the building contains not just apartments but a post office, a church, a health clinic, a laundromat, and a general store, all connected by interior corridors that residents navigate in winter without ever stepping outside into the brutal Alaskan weather. Self-guided exploration of the building's public areas and a conversation with any willing local reveals layers of Alaskan resilience and ingenuity. The building's history is documented in displays near the lobby, and the rooftop views over the harbor and surrounding peaks are striking. It is, undeniably, one of the stranger and more fascinating human settlements in North America.
Whittier Alaska travel tips
Dress for Rain and Cold — Every Single Time. Whittier's reputation as one of the wettest inhabited places in Alaska is thoroughly earned. Even in July, temperatures typically hover in the 50s Fahrenheit, and rain can arrive without warning at any point during your visit. The essential packing list for a Whittier port day includes a fully waterproof outer shell (not merely water-resistant), waterproof pants or sturdy rain pants if you plan to kayak or take a boat tour, and warm mid-layers such as fleece. Waterproof footwear — boots or rubber-soled shoes — matters especially if you are walking the harbor area, which can be wet and slippery. Gloves and a wool hat are not overkill, particularly on open-deck boat tours where the wind off glaciers drops the perceived temperature sharply. Packing a small dry bag for electronics and valuables is wise.
Book Glacier and Wildlife Boat Tours Well Before You Arrive. The most in-demand water-based tours departing from Whittier — particularly those into Blackstone Bay and the western Sound — operate with limited passenger capacity and fill up weeks, sometimes months, in advance during peak summer season. Cruise ship port calls concentrate large numbers of potential passengers into a narrow window, and independent operators have finite boats. If a glacier or wildlife cruise is a priority for your Whittier day, research and book directly with reputable local operators before your voyage departs. Many operators offer cruise-passenger-friendly scheduling timed to ship arrivals and departures. Waiting until you disembark to decide will likely mean finding tours fully booked, especially on peak-season sailings in June and July.
Get an Alaska Fishing License Before You Need It. If sportfishing is on your Whittier agenda, Alaska state law requires a valid fishing license for anyone 16 and older. Non-resident daily and short-term licenses are available and straightforward to purchase online through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website — doing this before you leave home eliminates any friction on the day. Many charter operators can also facilitate license purchase and will advise on current regulations and which species are in season during your visit. Note that Alaska's fisheries regulations are specific about species, bag limits, and gear types, so a quick conversation with your charter captain about what to expect is always worthwhile.
Understand the Anton Anderson Tunnel's Traffic Schedule. The 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — the only road connection into Whittier — operates on an alternating traffic schedule, meaning vehicles travel in only one direction at a time. The schedule is fixed and posted publicly by the Alaska Department of Transportation, with each direction given a window of roughly 30 minutes, with a gap between cycles for rail traffic. If you plan to drive or take a vehicle through the tunnel toward Portage Valley or vice versa, check the current schedule in advance and budget extra time for potential waits of 15 to 25 minutes at the tunnel portal. Missing a traffic window can add a significant delay to your return to the ship — something no cruise traveler wants to discover with a hard all-aboard time looming.
Carry Cash for Small Vendors and Spontaneous Purchases. While the established businesses in Whittier's harbor area — tour operators, restaurants, the general store — reliably accept credit and debit cards, Whittier's off-the-grid character means some transactions work best in cash. Independent fishermen occasionally sell fresh catch at the dock. Smaller artisan vendors who set up near the harbor on busy ship days may be cash-only. Gratuities for fishing charter crews and naturalist guides are meaningfully appreciated and almost universally given in cash. The absence of any ATM in Whittier is a genuine constraint — the nearest machines are in Portage or further toward Anchorage — so arrive with adequate cash already on hand.
Give Yourself Time to Simply Sit Still and Watch. Whittier rewards patience in a way that organized schedules sometimes crowd out. The harbor area's resident wildlife — bald eagles, sea otters visible from the dock with binoculars, harbor porpoises occasionally surfacing in the cove — appears on its own timeline. Travelers who rush from one activity to the next sometimes miss the quiet moments that define this place: the fog lifting off a glacier-carved ridgeline, the sudden arrival of a raft of sea otters just off the harbor mouth, or the eerie blue light filtering through a low overcast over the mountains. Build a buffer into your day's itinerary — even thirty minutes of unscheduled sitting on a harbor bench with a cup of coffee — and let Whittier's particular atmosphere settle in. It is a rare port that asks nothing commercial of you.
Port Facts Every Cruiser Needs To Know
Whittier Alaska shore excursion FAQs
Whittier functions as both, depending on the itinerary. Many Alaska Inside Passage voyages use it as a embarkation or disembarkation port — the starting or ending point of the cruise — which means passengers either board the ship here or leave it here, with limited time in port. Other itineraries call at Whittier as a destination port of call, allowing 6 to 10 hours ashore. Confirm your specific itinerary details well before sailing, as turnaround-day logistics (luggage handling, hotel arrangements, transfers to Anchorage) differ significantly from a standard port-call day. If Whittier is your embarkation point, you may have only a few hours before boarding, so prioritize accordingly.
Anchorage is approximately 60 miles from Whittier by road, but the journey takes around 90 minutes to two hours each way due to the Anton Anderson Tunnel's alternating traffic schedule and the mountain highway conditions. For a standard port call of 6 to 8 hours, making the round trip to Anchorage and spending meaningful time there is not realistic — the transit time alone would consume most of your day. Travelers with a 10-hour or longer call who are committed to seeing Anchorage can attempt it, but must account very carefully for tunnel wait times and leave substantial buffer before the all-aboard time. For most visitors, the Prince William Sound wilderness directly accessible from Whittier is a far better use of limited ashore hours.
Wildlife encounters in and around Whittier range from the nearly guaranteed to the wonderfully unpredictable. Sea otters are present in the harbor and surrounding cove with great reliability and are often visible from the dock itself. Bald eagles are almost a certainty — multiple individuals typically patrol the harbor area at any given time during summer. Harbor seals haul out on rocks accessible by boat. On water-based tours into Prince William Sound, Steller sea lions, Dall's porpoises, and various seabird species including tufted puffins, common murres, and pigeon guillemots are regularly encountered. Humpback whales and orcas (both resident and transient pods) appear frequently enough that tour operators consider them expected highlights rather than rare sightings. Black bears occasionally appear on hillsides near the tunnel approach road.
Whittier has a small number of trails accessible directly on foot from the harbor and town area, though none would be described as extensive backcountry routes. The Shotgun Cove Trail, the most popular local walk, begins near the harbor and follows the coastline of Passage Canal through spruce forest with mountain and water views, covering roughly 3 miles one way to Emerald Cove. The Whittier Glacier Trail climbs steeply toward a glacier viewpoint above town and rewards strong walkers with panoramic views over the Sound. Both trails are accessible without a vehicle and offer genuine wilderness character. The terrain can be muddy and wet after rain — appropriate footwear matters. For more ambitious hiking, the surrounding Chugach State Park backcountry is vast but typically requires guidance and planning beyond what a single port day permits.
Most cruise lines have established policies accommodating passengers who catch fish in Alaska, and Whittier charter captains are well-versed in making this work. After your catch, the charter operator will typically fillet, vacuum-seal, and often freeze your fish using onboard processing equipment — this is standard practice and usually included in the charter fee or available for a modest additional charge. The sealed packages can then be brought aboard your cruise ship, where the ship's galley staff will generally store them in onboard freezers for the remainder of the voyage. Confirm the cruise line's specific fish-handling policy before your sailing, as procedures vary. Customs regulations govern transporting fish across international borders, so if your itinerary includes Canadian ports, be aware of Canadian import rules for sealed fish products.
The harborfront area of Whittier — including the dock, harbor boardwalk, nearby restaurants, and the immediate surroundings of Begich Towers — is generally accessible on mostly flat, paved ground and is navigable for travelers using wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. The harbor walk itself is well-maintained. Water-based tours vary by operator: some high-speed catamarans have covered, seated main decks that are accessible with assistance, while smaller skiffs and kayaks require more physical agility. Hiking trails involve uneven, often wet terrain and are not well-suited for mobility challenges. Contact individual tour operators in advance to discuss accessibility needs — reputable Whittier operators are accustomed to these conversations and will give honest assessments of what their specific vessels and excursions can accommodate.
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a genuine engineering curiosity and worth understanding before your day. At approximately 2.5 miles, it is among the longest highway tunnels in North America and uniquely shares its single bore with the Alaska Railroad — vehicles and trains use the same tunnel on a coordinated schedule. Road traffic alternates direction on a roughly 30-minute cycle, with rail priority built in. The tunnel charges a modest toll for vehicles (free for pedestrians and cyclists). Inside, the tunnel is well-lit with a distinctive blue lighting scheme and has a maintained road surface. Radio and cell service do not penetrate the tunnel. The temperature inside is dramatically cooler than outside. The experience of driving through is memorable — it genuinely feels like passing through the mountain rather than over it, which is precisely what you are doing.
Whittier's dining scene is modest in quantity but earnest in quality for what it offers. The town supports a small number of waterfront-facing eateries that serve fresh Alaska seafood at lunch and dinner — halibut fish and chips, chowder, crab, and salmon prepared without pretension but with good sourcing. June's Whittier Wild Café and similar harbor establishments are favorites among returning visitors. A general store in Begich Towers covers basic provisions. The overall dining experience is best approached as a complement to your day rather than a destination in itself — plan to eat something satisfying and locally sourced without expecting a broad range of options. Bring snacks and water from the ship if you have particular dietary needs or will be out on the water for extended periods, as options mid-Sound are whatever your boat tour operator provides.
The temperature difference between the Whittier harborfront and an open deck on a high-speed catamaran approaching a tidewater glacier is significant and catches many visitors off guard. On the harbor, a summer day in the 50s Fahrenheit with a light breeze is merely brisk. On a boat moving at speed across open water toward a glacier calving bay, the same ambient temperature combined with wind chill and the cold air radiating off the ice can feel close to freezing. For boat tours, layers are critical: a moisture-wicking base layer, a substantial fleece or insulated mid-layer, and a fully waterproof and windproof outer shell on top. Waterproof pants over your base layer will spare you significant discomfort from spray. Warm gloves, a hat that covers your ears, and — especially for photography — hand warmers in your pockets make the experience dramatically more enjoyable. Dress warmer than you think necessary; it is easy to remove layers but impossible to add ones you left aboard the ship.
Whittier is emphatically not a shopping port, and that is part of its character. The gift options are limited — a small shop near Begich Towers stocks Alaska-themed items including postcards, locally produced jams and preserves, and handcrafted goods from regional artisans. During busy ship days, a small number of independent vendors sometimes set up near the harbor with jewelry, photographs, and Alaska Native-inspired crafts, though selection varies. The most meaningful things to bring home from Whittier are photographs — the light and landscape are extraordinary — and fresh or processed Alaska seafood from your fishing charter or purchased from local fishermen at the dock. A vacuum-sealed fillet of wild Alaska halibut or coho salmon, properly frozen and carried home with care, is both a legitimate Alaskan souvenir and an exceptional dinner.
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